For the first time since Week 13 of last season, the Atlanta Falcons won a road contest. Their 27-17 victory over the Tampa Bat Buccaneers on Sunday was also the first outdoor win for Atlanta since Week 12 of the 2012 season (also a game in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.).
There were some great positives to examine.
With the help of a good push from the offensive line, Steven Jackson looked good in the running game. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry. Devonta Freeman 16 yards on the ground in three carries. When the Falcons can establish the run, good things happen.
Osi Umenyiora and Kroy Biermann each tallied 1.5 sacks on Sunday. The pass rush from the Falcons has been next to non-existent this season. Seeing the front seven get after a quarterback with regularity gave some hope for the Falcons moving forward.
Speaking of the rest of the season, even at 3-6 Atlanta has a decent shot at the playoffs.
The Falcons are just one game behind division-leading New Orleans. Even if it's still too early to talk about what Atlanta's realistic chances are at climbing back into the playoff hunt, there's no denying that winning against Tampa Bay was a good start.
Bird is the Word Podcast: Falcons look to build on road win by Fox Sports South Podcasts on Mixcloud
